1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices and apparatus for personal grooming, and more specifically to a device adapted for personal use, for simultaneously and evenly trimming the sideburns.
2. Description of Related Art
The art of good personal grooming has become increasingly important in the modern world for most people, in both professional and social environments. Historically, the lack of technology for producing razor blades for personal shaving and grooming, resulted in most men electing to wear beards during their adult lives, or perhaps visiting a barber on a weekly basis for a professional shave. Even so, much of the face was often covered by a beard and/or mustache, with any trimming required being performed professionally by the barber.
The development of safety razors and the like for personal use, has resulted in the vast majority of men electing to adopt a clean shaven appearance and shaving daily. While some facial hair is still worn by many men, most men have adopted styles with relatively short sideburns, with their length ending at about the level of the midpoint of the ear.
It will be noted that with such clean shaven styles, that any discrepancy in the cutting or trimming of a beard or hair is more readily noticed. Yet, current fashion leans toward such a clean cut and well trimmed look. It can be difficult for a person to maintain such a sharp appearance relative to certain areas of the hair, such as the length of the sideburns, due to the need to trim each of the sideburns independently. This can result in a person alternatingly trimming first one sideburn, then noting that the second sideburn is slightly longer and trimming that sideburn inadvertently to a shorter length than the first, thus having to retrim the first, etc. While such innovations as three way mirrors and other grooming aids have provided considerable assistance with such grooming problems, these aids do nothing to actually perform the precisely even cutting or trimming of sideburns which is desirable for many tonsorial styles in the contemporary professional and social environments.
Accordingly, a need will be seen for a personal grooming device which may be used by a person for simultaneously and evenly trimming both sideburns of the user. The device must provide for economy, ease of use, and precision in performing the grooming task.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, a nd its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,764 issued on Mar. 8, 1977 to Stan Wagner, titled "Sideburn Trimming Guide," describes a device for positioning a cut or trim to be made to the sideburns. The device comprises a band which fits over the top of the head, generally from one temple to the other. Additional guides are provided for fitting over each ear, for more precisely positioning each sideburn guide. Wagner also includes lighting means for illuminating the guide scale on each side. However, Wagner does not provide any means to actually cut or trim the sideburns of the user of the device. Rather, the user must use a separate razor to perform the trimming operation. In contrast, the present device serves not only as a guide, but also as a cutting and trimming implement as well. Moreover, the present dual sideburn trimmer invention does not contact the head except where the razor elements contact the sideburns. The present invention also utilizes spirit level means for leveling the device, which means is not disclosed by Wagner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,515 issued on Aug. 15, 1978 to David Miller, titled "Side Burn Trimming Guide," describes a device similar to the Wagner device discussed immediately above. As in the case of the Wagner device, the Miller device fits over the top of the head (as well as around the head), and provides only guides or templates for cutting or trimming. No actual cutting elements are provided by Miller, nor is any leveling means disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,066, issued on Feb. 26, 1985 to Conrad T. Sceberras, titled "Dual Headed Razor System," describes a device having a single handle with two curved but generally parallel arms extending therefrom. Each of the arms includes a double bladed safety razor head removably secured to the distal end thereof, with the cutting angles of the blades of each head, facing one another. Thus, the Sceberras razor provides a shaving action when moved in a direction toward either of the razor heads. Sceberras does not address the problem of simultaneously evenly cutting or trimming sideburns, as his razor system cannot be used simultaneously on both sides of the head, as provided by the present sideburn trimming apparatus. Moreover, Sceberras does not provide any leveling means with his razor, as is provided in the present sideburn trimming apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,328 issued on Feb. 5, 1991 to Daniel Sokoloff, titled "Dual Headed Razor Assembly," describes various embodiments of an assembly including a conventional safety razor head and a smaller, i. e., narrower, safety razor head either permanently or removably secured to a single handle. As in the Sceberras apparatus discussed immediately above, Sokoloff does not provide for two separate razors disposed upon a single structure for positioning to each side of the head, nor does he provide any form of leveling means for such an assembly, which features are a part of the present dual sideburn trimmer invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,671 issued on Sep. 19, 1995 to David Harshman, titled "Hair Trimming Device," describes an article for use in trimming and thinning hair, particularly female pubic hair. No means of simultaneously positioning opposed trimming blades to opposite sides of the head, nor leveling the blades precisely, is disclosed by Harshman.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,178 issued on Aug. 6, 1996 to Zeke S. Harkleroad, titled "Razor For Shaving Curved Areas Of The Body," describes an apparatus having a general configuration much like a conventional safety razor, but including a much smaller arcuately shaped blade adjustably positioned in the head of the handle, opposite the more conventional razor head. The smaller curved blade is adapted for trimming tightly curved areas of the face, such as the philtrum, or vertical depression in the upper lip below the nose. The arcuately curved blade is not adapted for making a straight cut or trim as required for trimming the sideburns, and in any event cannot be separated from the more conventional blade for simultaneous shaving or trimming use, as provided by the present dual sideburn trimming invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,688 issued on Oct. 29, 1996 to Edward A. Andrews, titled "Hair Shaving Device With Curved Razor Blade Strip," describes a device having a narrow blade bent to form a generally U-shaped configuration, with one or more guards disposed to the outer and/or inner surfaces thereof. The two ends of the U-shaped blade are secured to a single handle end. The device is adapted for trimming hair in relatively small bodily orifices, i. e., the nostrils and ear canals. The device includes only a single blade, although the blade is bent to form two opposed cutting surfaces. The Andrews razor apparatus cannot be separated to provide two widely spaced blades for simultaneously trimming the sideburns on opposite sides of the head, as provided by the present dual sideburn trimming device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,442 issued on Jun. 10, 1997 to Kevin J. Wain, titled "Shaving Systems With Blade Holder," describes a razor handle and head system in which the razor head comprises a cartridge which is removably installable on the end of the handle. A plurality of cartridges are provided in a case, with a used cartridge installed on the handle being inserted into an empty slot in the case, the handle being drawn toward the next available cartridge in sequence to release the used cartridge and pick up the new cartridge, and then being withdrawn from the case with the new cartridge attached. The Wain system can pick up only a single cartridge on the handle at any one time, and thus the handle cannot accommodate two widely separated blades at a time for simultaneously trimming the sideburns on opposite sides of the head, as provided by the present invention.
European Pat. Publication No. 305,866 published on Mar. 8, 1989 to the Gillette Company, titled "Shaving Device," describes an elastomeric pad (e. g., a sponge-like material) having a series of toroidally shaped blades mounted in one surface thereof. Each of the blades includes a cutting edge formed about its inner edge. The resilience of the pad enables the device to be drawn over virtually any area of the body, and to conform closely to the shape of the body surface at that area while the plurality of small cutting blades trim the hair from the area. As the Gillette device disposes the razor blades throughout a single sponge-like carrier, the device is not adapted to position only two widely spaced straight edged blades to opposite sides of the head for simultaneous trimming of the sideburns, as provided by the present invention.
Finally, European Pat. Publication No. 305,883 published on Mar. 8, 1989 to the Gillette Company, titled "Shaving Device," describes in detail the structure and configuration of the blades used in the device of the '866 European Pat. Publication discussed immediately above. A handled holder for such toroidally shaped blade elements is also disclosed, as well as various geometric arrangements and configurations of blade groups using such blades. The same points as raised in the discussion of the '866 European Pat. Publication discussed immediately above, are seen to be relevant here.
Although many devices have been developed previously for addressing the different problems associated with shaving, as indicated by the discussion above, it is still necessary to have an instrument that allows for the simultaneous and even trimming of sideburns. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.